Hillhouse Student-Athletes Get Their Due

Student-athletes from Hillhouse High School were recognized for their outstanding efforts on the track and on the basketball court this year.

The Board of Alders recognized dozens of the high school’s students and their coaches, who packed City Hall Monday night, for all their hard work and accomplishments this year.

There was the Hillhouse Track Team, who are the reigning State Class M champs for the second year running.

And the Hillhouse Boys Basketball Team, who are the 2016 Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference State champs after a 94 – 83, double-overtime win over Hartford’s Weaver High School last month at Mohegan Sun Arena.

West Rock Alder Carlton Staggers, a Hillhouse graduate and father of a former team player, predicted that the team would continue to rack up championships in the future.

Hillhouse’s band was recognized for upholding the city and Yale University when the Yale basketball team played Baylor University during NCAA Tournament play last month. Yale’s band was on spring break, so Yale Head Coach James Jones asked the high school musicians to play in their stead.

Dixwell Alder Jeanette Morrison also made sure to recognize the cheerleaders, whom she said aren’t always shown the kind of appreciation that other athletes are though they practice hard, and are at every game. She might be a little biased. Morrison was a Hillhouse cheerleader back in the day.

Board of Alders President Tyisha Walker, a proud Hillhouse graduate, encouraged the students that when someone tells them that they can’t accomplish something ​“prove them wrong just like you’ve been doing.